


Bringing Branch Back

by DandelionCares



Category: Trolls (2016)
Genre: Anxiety Attacks, Comfort, Comfort Sex, Depression, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, F/M, Hurt/Comfort, NSFW Art, Panic Attacks, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD, Trauma
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-20
Updated: 2020-09-20
Packaged: 2021-03-07 17:08:44
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 1,566
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26561173
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DandelionCares/pseuds/DandelionCares
Summary: Poppy heads to the bunker looking for Branch, but what she ends up finding is far more worrying...................This oneshot is emotionally raw, and involves anxiety/panic attacks and it's effects - so you have been warned. (ie. This ain't no cupcakes and rainbows story!)Prepare to have your heart crushed. You didn't need it anyway, right?(don't worry, it all comes good in the end ;) )
Relationships: Branch/Queen Poppy (Trolls)
Comments: 10
Kudos: 55
Collections: Best Broppy





	1. Lost in the Shadows

“Branch?’ Poppy called as she stepped off the elevator into the bunker. She was met with an unsettling silence. After a quick scan of his bedroom, bathroom and the kitchen with no luck, she started to descend further down the corridors of the bunker – a feeling of uneasiness starting to pool within the pit of her stomach. The fact that she knew Branch was definitely here, after they had parted ways in the village at lunchtime and he said this is where he would be for the rest of the day…. And now he wasn’t… something wasn’t right.

“…Branch?” she tried again, carrying her voice a little louder down the passageways, only to be met with her echo bouncing back to her without the reply she needed. She quickened her pace a little, a sense of urgency now coming over her she passed through the rooms within the deeper confines of the bunker.

As she rounded the corner of the final storage room, her heart stopped as her foot bumped against a broken clay pot at the entrance. Broken anything in Branch’s bunker was highly unusual. Adjusting her eyes to the room’s darkness she gasped as she could see the entire contents of the storage shelves had been ripped down – clay pots and glass jars were smashed, liquids and preserves splattered everywhere, books and papers ripped and scrunched in haphazard piles. As she advanced gingerly into the room, her heart hammering away in her chest, she looked across the shadows and finally saw - hunched in the far corner with his head and arms buried over his knees – Branch.

Poppy sighed with relief, but it was quickly replaced with alarm when she heard him gasping for breath, in between heavy quaking sobs.


	2. Come back to me

“Oh Branch,” Poppy said to herself, her heart aching in her chest at the sight of him. She navigated her way over the rubble and dropped to her knees in front of him. From past experiences she knew she had to treat the situation very delicately – a wrong move or word could make things a thousand times worse. Ever so gently, she glided her hands slowly over his forearms to make him aware of her presence. He flinched at her touch, startled she was there. He sucked in a sharp breath through his teeth but said nothing, raspy sobs soon piercing the otherwise silent room again. Poppy remained still, keeping her hands in place, in her mind desperate to pull him in for an all consuming hug. But, to her credit, she held steady. His needs far outweighed her ideals right now, and she knew excessive affection was definitely NOT what was needed. Under her hands she could feel him shaking uncontrollably, his breath was ragged and his skin drenched in sweat. He didn’t acknowledge her for some time, but that was ok. She waited quietly.

Finally, he had the strength to raise his head to her, but his eyes were screwed shut and his face was twisted in agony. His cheeks were soaked in tears while more continued to fall rapidly from his eyes. Poppy’s heart cried seeing how broken he looked.

“This… this wasn’t—still…. still supposed to be… happening…” he choked, roughly raking a flat palm across his raw and swollen eyes, still unable to make eye contact with her. That was all he could manage before he retreated behind his arms again, another sob consuming him. Poppy noticed his hands were scraped and bruised, obviously from the storage rampage earlier.

Poppy knew the reasons why did not matter right now. Her focus now was solely to bring him back from his rapidly sinking downward spiral, and she had to move fast. She scooted closer to him and carefully slid both her hands down to get a gentle hold of his face. She gradually eased his head up, and was relieved when she wasn’t met with any resistance.

“Hey,” she said quietly, sweeping her thumbs under his soaked eyes and holding his face steadily between her hands. His breathing was frantic and he still refused to open his eyes to her. She moved her face a little closer to his, keeping her voice low but soothing.

“Branch…” she whispered. “Come back to me.” She leaned forward and placed the lightest of kisses on his cheek. Initially he didn’t respond or react. Persevering, she moved across and planted another gentle kiss on his other cheek, and it was then she felt his hands unclamp from his knees and grasp around her forearms. She sighed, grateful for the progress. She shifted forward again, bringing her forehead into contact with his, pressing them together. She watched him intently as she accentuated her breathing, coaxing his into synchronization with hers. They sat like this for some time, but eventually, the close skin contact and the sound of her steady breath finally started calming Branch down. Branch, blowing out a long, shaky exhale, finally eased his eyes open. Poppy had never been so happy to see those eyes, even though their gaze was pinned downward and raw and swollen from crying. She gave him a soft smile and brushed her thumbs over his cheeks again.

“Hey..” she cooed, and she felt his grip on her tighten. And then he slowly brought his eyes up to meet hers. There he was. He was an emotional mess, but the peak was over. Overcome with relief, she brought herself further towards him and, taking her lead, he allowed her into his space, opening his legs and let her completely wrap herself around him. He buried his face in her shoulder, still shaking, a few sobs still escaping. But with her soft warm skin against his and her body literally wrapped around him, he finally started feeling lighter. The tears stopped falling. His breathing began to steady. His heartbeat started to calm with hers as they sat together in the shadows, waiting for the pain to pass.


	3. Comfort

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter gets a bit steamy and NSFW towards the end.
> 
> Fluffy NSFW if you will ;) 
> 
> Nothing like a bit of intimate comfort to make things right.

They sat quietly as time slowly ticked by, neither one of them in a rush to move as they stayed wrapped around each other. Branch had long since recovered from his episode and was now content to just sit in Poppy's arms, absorbing her warmth and appreciating the closeness in comfortable silence. Poppy could feel his breathing was now steady and his body temperature had returned to its usual cosy cuddly state. She gently stroked the back of his neck and twirled a few fingers up in his hair as she snuggled even closer. If she could stay wrapped up in Branch forever, she would totally be ok with that.

“Poppy…” she heard him say sigh softly next to her ear. Hair, it didn’t take much for her to turn to complete jelly at a single word from him.

She started to feel Branch making tiny circles with his hand against the small of her back and she smiled to herself. She knew the move – he was definitely more relaxed now. They gently pulled back out of their embrace and Poppy could see his eyes were clear and focused, and now with a very subtle twinkle. He brought a hand up between them and traced his fingers softly down the line of her jaw, stopping at her lips and gazing at them intently. Sensing no hint of resistance or anxiety from him, Poppy trailed her own hand up to the sleeve of his vest, hook a finger and slowly drag it down over his shoulders, carefully watching for his reaction out of the corner of her eye. His skin flushed with goosebumps and he sighed, pulling her in a little closer, which assured her. They locked eyes again, and his other hand stopped circling across her back, pulling her body in as he moved forward and kissed her softly on the mouth. She returned the affection willingly, gratefully, but let him take the lead as they continued. The last thing she wanted was to set him back again and, at this point, needed him to be 100% comfortable with whatever they were doing.

He wrapped his arms around her and moved forward onto his knees, slowly easing her backwards onto the floor but never losing body or mouth contact with her. Their kisses started to increase in intensity and both their minds started to fog over as their bodies began to stir with building heat. Branch left her mouth and started planting tender kisses down her neck and over the front of her dress, eager to get to her beautiful strawberry scented skin underneath. Poppy rolled her head back and sighed as his hands found hers and they intertwined tightly, desperate to hold on, never wanting to let go.

Eventually Branch pulled his hand away and trailed down her body, dipping under the fabric of her dress and gently sliding his hands around her underwear, slowly slipping them down her thighs. Poppy gasped and turned her face towards him, her breathing starting to accelerate as he nuzzled in her neck, his kisses becoming more urgent with soft nibbles against her warm fuzzy skin. Their bodies were desperate to be closer.

Soon the couple were completely skin on skin, bodies entwined in the most intimate way possible. Branch held her close to his body and she gripped around his shoulders as they slowly made gentle, comforting, restoring love in the dimness of the storage room. 


End file.
